Bread Making – CIABATTA
Continuing with our bread making series, we move to Italy. This irregular—shaped Italian bread is so called because it looks like an old shoe or slipper It is made with a very wet dough flavoured with olive oil; cooking produces a bread with holes and a wonderfully chewy crust. Just like most Italian bread, it uses a ‘biga’ or starter to get things moving.
1 Cream the yeast for the biga starter with a little of the water. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Gradually mix in the yeast mixture and sufficient of the remaining water to form a firm dough.
2 Turn out the biga starter dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave in a warm place for 12-15 hours, or until the dough has risen and is starting to collapse.
3 Sprinkle 3 baking sheets with flour. Mix the yeast for the dough with a little of the water until creamy, then mix in the remainder. Add the yeast mixture to the biga and gradually mix in.
4 Mix in the milk, beating thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Using your hand, gradually beat in the flour, lifting the dough as you mix. Mixing the dough will take 15 minutes or more and form
a very wet mix, impossible to knead on a work surface.
5 Beat in the salt and olive oil. Cover with lightly oiled clear film and leave to rise, in a warm place, for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
6 Using a spoon, carefully tip one—third of the dough at a time on to the prepared baking sheets, trying to avoid knocking back the dough in the process.
7 Using floured hands, shape into rough oblong loaf shapes, about 2.5cm/ 1in thick. Flatten slightly with splayed fingers. Sprinkle with flour and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
8 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and sounding hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
FOR THE BIGA STARTER
7g/1/4 oz fresh yeast
175-200ml/6-7fl oz/3/4—scant 1 cup lukewarm water
350g7120z/3 cups unbleached plain flour plus extra for dusting
FOR THE DOUGH
15g/1/2 oz fresh yeast
400ml/14fl oz/1 2/3 cups lukewarm water
60ml/4 tbsp lukewarm milk
500g/1 1/4 lb/5 cups unbleached white bread flour
10ml/2 tsp salt
45ml/3 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
MAKES 3 LOAVES
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